how do you like them apples Villanova

Finally, after months and weeks of speculation the Temple Owls have joined the Big East. The invitation is for football next season and all sports in 2013. Total cost to join was $6 million payable to the MAC (split 50/50 with Big East) and $1 million to the Atlantic 10.

Temple should be immediately competive in Big East football having beaten AQ teams UConn and Maryland soundly in each of the past two seasons. Temple did narrowly lose to Penn State last year at home.

It is in basketball, in 2013, where marked change is coming as Temple should add significantly more depth to what is already a scary conference. The recruiting advantage that Villanova has enjoyed in Philadelphia should end immediately; it will be interesting to see what becomes of Villanova without the Big East variable. Attendance at the Liacouras Centre will certainly improve with the likes of Georgetown, Notre Dame, Marquette, Louisville, Seton Hall etc. visiting (as opposed to A10 stalwarts St. Bonaventure, Saint Louis etc.

Overall, a good move for Temple and a win for the Big East. The Big East has added a competive football program capable of competing with AQ teams from larger conferences and a basketball team capable of competing with anyone. The big losers in all of this: a) the ACC who accepted two crap football teams in Syracuse/Pittsburgh in order to improve their basketball; b) Villanova.